Vaporizing spray for fruit and vegetable display racks



y ,1929 w. M. WHITE 1,711,512

VAPORIZING SPRAY FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE DISPLAY RACKS Filed July 11, 1928 Fl 1 VENTOR FIG. 3. 25 W 7% W I Patented May 7, 1929. g I

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Application filed July 11,

My inventionrelates to improvements in apparatus forforming and controlling water vapor spray for use in-connection with racks for displaying and keeping fresh fruits and vegetables exhibited for sale.

This invention is in particular animprovement over mypending application for fruit and .gvegetable 3 rack and vapor spray, filed June 4, 1928, SerialNumbe'r 282,569.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide improvements in devices of this character whichwill produce a veryfinespray or mist which will keep articles cool and fresh without soaking them' in water;

1."; which will very largely prevent thecollection of moisture into drops and which will remove suclrdrops as form before the said drops come in contact withthe articles on (llsDlay-:- aw. v

The weight of such articles as cabbage, let.- -tuce, peppers and the like is materially.in-' creasedby the water said articles will absorb. This fact is well. known by persons buying such articles by weightand will-militate against the ready sale of such articles. My new improvement obviates this difficulty almost entire]. v l 1 L 1 Other and further objects will be evident hereinafter as the description of the invention progresses.

The invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, delineated in theaccompanying one-sheet drawing, and particularly pointed out in that part of this instrument wherein patentable novelty is claimed for certain of the distinctive and peculiar features of the device. I desire to be understood that the said drawings and spec.ifica-. tions are illustrative and not restrictive. Also that within the scope of the appended claim, divers changes in the form, proportions, size and details maybe made, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the device; Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3 is a per spective view of the trays; Fig. .4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the shelf: Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational View, partly in section, of the vapor nozzle and ("o-acting parts, and Fig. 6 is an en- I A .1,711,512 PATE T!orr cE;

it wi'flsslf 3 a -"1 oRIzI nG :SIRAY son rmirr AND vnenmqstn iarsf rriiay RACKS. 1

192s. 's'eriaruo. 291,953;

largedsectional view of a three with wire gauze in place.

,One embodimentof my invention will. be described. as follows: The display rack l is preferably. made ofstandard rolled metal shapes and has angle iron corner supports 2, lower longitudinal members 3 for supporting baskets18g=lower transverse members 4,

part union 4 upper transverse members 5- and longitudinal members 6 for supporting drain pan 8, diagonals 7 serving tobrace the said rack 1. The said drain pan 8'slopes downward and has outlet at 9. Members 10 are intermediate upright. supports, 11 is a'solid upright sheet metal end deflector and supporting means enclosed in; 1 angleiron frame- 12, the turned-back meta-1 fromscored openings 13 serve as 'spacing stops for trays .21'positioned adj acent' said 'ends '1 11.2: The longitudinal angle members 14' support wire mesh shelf 15 enclosedin .metalwfram e 16 above said drain pan 8wandintermediate solid sheet metal top shelf. 17.- Metal frame wire mesh basketslS having shallow back ends 19 and dee front ends 2O are suited for displaying sue 1 bulky articles as potatoes, apples, oranges and the like. The said baskets 18 rest on frame members 3 and are tilted forward so that their'eontents down to'the last article will always roll or slide forward to the deep front end 20 where said articles are visible and within reach. The metal frame wire mesh trays 21' are adapted for positioning in and above pan 8,-the front ends 22 are shallow and back ends 23 are deep so that such articles as lettuce, celery, radishes and the like may be piled high at the backs of said trays along the longitudinal center of rack 1 where said articles will be thoroughly enveloped in the cool humidified atmosphere from the vapor spray. In order that said spray may reach and surround each of said trays 21, supporting metal straps 24 having raised feet 25 formed on the ends thereof position the trays above pan 8. Said feet 25 extend slightly beyond the sides of said trays so that when feet of adjacent trays are in contact a space 26 is provided between the trays. In like manner a space 27' is formed between end trays 21 and solid end wall 11 by the upturned metal from scored openings 13. \Vater for operating the device may be obtained through supply pipe 28, having conveniently placed faucet 29 and cut-off valve 30. The horizontal branch ofv said pipe 28 is provided with pipe Ts and l elbow 31. fm-noazleiconnections; each oflasaid sprays -liav-ing individual cut otl' valves' 32. The very fine mist or vapor given elf by the sprays will act more as a humidifier and very little moisture will form in drops but such as does form will collect in drain pan .8.

quicklyflushed out and'cleaned. Iutcrmediate faucet? 29 and valve: 30 on pipe 28' I provide a three part union 36 with two gaskets 37 between which. is a very tine wire gauze strainer 38. This insures a clean supply ofwater for the very fine jet issuing .irom nozzle 39. Said jet isdirected upwardly through an opening-thin ashallow drippan 40, said opening-- 41. being surrounded byian upstanding collar 41; The said' fine, water et after epassing upwardly through'said "opening :41 iir dripIp'an is directed-at an 'invei'tediqmn"deflector 42 where 'said jet-impinges against a 'central downwardly .projecting' shallow spherical segment 43 and forms iawery finemist, vapor or spray, which humidifies the air surrounding the articles on display on-rack 1. Any waterfrom the jet which may form into dropsis carried by capillary-attraction oyer the spherical segment 43, the botto m of pan 42 and down the frusto-conical edge 44 of said' pan 42 where the watcizby ravity drops down into drip pan 40 and is (rained out in the shallow channel 47 of said pan 40 into drain tube 45 as indicated by the arrow 'in Fig; 5, said tube 45 finally en'i'ptying into outletdraiu, tube 45- and thence to "drain pipe 33. The said tube 45 passes through pau 40 and the center of its upwardly eittending end 46 supports deflector pan 42 at one edge offsaid pan. Although the saidpans 40 and 42 may be of different diameters by this arrangement the centers of both pans are on the same vertical lineand are in perfect alignment for operation of the fine jet as described. As can best be seen in Fig. 1 the spray is formed at the top of rack 1, undcr solid shelf 17 at a pointwhere the cloud of mist, assisted by said shelf, spreads outwardly and downwardly through shelf 15 and trays 2l-and entirely envelops the articles supported by said shelf 15 and trays Having thus described my invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

- In a device of the class described; adrain pipe-or-tube, a shallow dish pan supported thereby and having communication ther e= with,'said pan having, an openingin itsbottonnz-a supply pipe disposed beneath said opening and panand in line with the ope'nmg, and an inverted pan deflector supported by said pipe above said shallow dish pan and having a central depending spherical segment in vertical alignment with the opening in said first named pan as and for the purpose specified.

' WILLIAM M. VHITE 

